Petit Fours that say “I Love You” in four different languages from Firehook Bakery & Coffeehouse. Triple-dipped strawberries from Alexandria Pastry Shop & Catering Company. Rum balls and raspberry cakes from Family Bakery & Mr. Donut. Iced sugar cookies from Brenner’s Bakery. Heart-shaped cakes and raspberry cookies from Bread & Chocolate. Chocolate boxes with truffles and pulled chocolates from Hollin Hall Pastry. Special chocolates from Kingsbury Chocolates.
With Valentine’s Day coming on Monday, local bakeries and pastry shops are gearing up. Plenty of places offer a special treat for one’s valentine; the biggest problem will be how to decide what to buy.
IN ADDITION to iced sugar cookies, Brenner’s Bakery also has sugar cookies and butter cookies, decorated in reds and pinks. Heart-shaped cakes are available for $15 in both vanilla and chocolate. There will also be plenty of cupcakes decorated for the season. Cakes can be ordered ahead, but there will also be plenty of treats in stock over the weekend.
Ann Hur, owner of the bakery, said that prices are being reduced by 20 percent to more closely reflect the original store’s prices. The bakery is selling bagels on the weekends and may be adding a line of sandwiches.
Lien and Misen Nguyen at Family Bakery & Mr. Donut have butter cookies and heart cakes in chocolate and vanilla as well as strawberry and raspberry cakes. They hope to be selling doughnuts in the shop within the next few weeks.
Firehook Bakery, also known as Shuman’s Bakery, is cooking up Valentine cupcakes along with petit fours. It also has sweetheart tarts, brownie hearts, cheese cake topped with raspberries, chocolate delight (moist chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache) and chocolate covered strawberries. Doughnuts and butter cookies are also decorated for the holiday.
Bread & Chocolate has heart-shaped cakes, pastries, raspberry cookies and other special treats.
Alexandria Pastry Shop has heart-shaped cookies and cakes, petit fours, truffles, XOXO cookies and gift baskets. It is also serving a dinner-for-two featuring soup or salad; choice of entrée; and choice of two heart-shaped pastries.
At Kingsbury Chocolates, in addition to its regular line of delectable chocolates, there are long-stem dipped strawberries. It also has a special Valentine’s Day box that comes with four rose petal truffles; four lavender pistachio truffles; eight sugar creams and eight rosewater creams.